Episode 475: Scientific Predictions Of Violent And Racist Acts

September 9, 2014 10:49 am | Heit & Cheri

You never know what to expect from Heit & Cheri… On this episode of The Axiom Amnesia Theory, the two cover a wide range of topics–from debating meteorologists’ unscientific terms to discussions on current events relate to violence, racism, and the prison industry.

Topics discussed include a debate on the scientific validity of rain predictions, Bruce Levensen of the Atlanta Hawks giving up his majority share in the team due to racist comments he made, Baltimore Ravens running back Ray Rice being released from his contract and suspended from the NFL after a video of him knocking his then fiance out in an elevator surfaced, Ray Nagin, ex-mayor of New Orleans, reporting to prison in Texarkana, Dallas County jail possibly setting up a contract to do video jail visitation and no longer allow in-person jail visits, Cook County jail in Chicago requiring a background check before you can visit an inmate, and more!

The chance is that under those same conditions X% of the time, it rained. They use the past to predict the future.

Discussion about how the medical industry describes people as being “at risk” for a particular disease or condition.

Debate over the trade-off between using an unscientific reference of predictor of rain and trying to communicate whether a person should expect rain.

You can twist statistics to say whatever you want them to say.

Discussion about Bruce Levensen of the Atlanta Hawks giving up his majority share in the team due to racist comments he made in an email a couple of years ago.

lanta Hawks general manager Danny Ferry will be disciplined by the team for reading aloud at a June meeting a racist comment from a player’s background report.

A chain of events involviing Ferry led to Hawks majority owner Bruce Levenson putting his controlling interest in the team up for sale, officials told ESPN.com.

Levenson announced Sunday that he would sell his share in the team because of the “inappropriate and offensive” internal email sent in 2012 regarding the lack of white fans at Philips Arena.

Atlanta Hawks owner Bruce Levensonto sell after racist email
In an interview earlier this year, Atlanta Hawks controlling owner Bruce Levenson commented on former L.A. Clippers owner Donald Sterling.
The nature of the Ferry’s discipline was not disclosed by the team. According to ESPN sources, Ferry will remain the team’s general manager.

Former Chicago Bulls swingman Luol Deng was the free-agent player being discussed in a Hawks’ owners call in June when a racist comment was read from a background report by Ferry, according to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Deng ended up signing a two-year, $20 million contract with the Miami Heat in July.

After that meeting, a member of the Atlanta-based ownership raised a concern over the comment. That prompted an internal investigation conducted by council. The law firm of Alston and Bird spoke to 19 people and reviewed over 24,000 documents, Hawks CEO Steve Koonin told the newspaper Sunday night.Source:Chicago Tribune

Is it true that the majority Black crowd scared off white season ticket holders? He was probably right, and why are people not talking about why “white flight”?

Discussion about Baltimore Ravens running back Ray Rice being released from his contract and suspended from the NFL after a video of him knocking his then fiance out in an elevator surfaced.

The wife of disgraced Baltimore Ravens running back Ray Rice defended “the man I love” in an online post today and said Rice’s football ban left her “feeling like I’m mourning the death of my closest friend.”

Janay Rice, who was shown in a video released Monday getting knocked out by Rice in an Atlantic City elevator, posted the statement on Instagram the day after the Ravens terminated his contract and the NFL suspended him indefinitely.

“I woke up this morning feeling like I had a horrible nightmare, feeling like I’m mourning the death of my closest friend,” she wrote.

She called the attention to their Feb. 15 fight in the Revel Casino Hotel “unwanted.”

“To make us relive a moment in our lives that we regret everyday is a horrible thing. To take something away from the man I love that he has worked his a.. off for all his life just to gain ratings is horrific. THIS IS OUR LIFE!” she wrote.Source:ABC

Discussion about Ray Nagin, ex-mayor of New Orleans, reporting to prison in Texarkana today.

Former New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin was due to report to federal prison on Monday to begin serving a 10-year sentence for corruption during the years when the city was struggling to recover from the devastation wrought by Hurricane Katrina.
Nagin, a Democrat, was thrust into the national spotlight in 2005, when Katrina overwhelmed levees and flooded 80 percent of New Orleans, killing 1,500 people and causing some $80 billion in damage.
He is due to serve his time at a federal prison in Texarkana, Texas, according to television station WDSU.
Nagin, 58, plans to appeal his conviction. He has said in court filings that he is nearly penniless, and has been granted a court-appointed lawyer.
The onetime cable company executive who served as New Orleans’ mayor from 2002-2010 was convicted on 20 criminal counts including bribery, conspiracy and money laundering, all tied to payments he received for granting city contracts.Source:NY Daily News

Discussion about the Dallas County jail possibly setting up a contract to do video jail visitation and no longer allow in-person jail visits. They are further monetizing the prison system!

The Dallas County Jail may soon allow inmates to video chat with their friends and family on the outside. But the new perk may come with a serious drawback — the loss of in-person visitation.
The county has chosen a local company, Securus Technologies, to install “video visitation” by the end of this year. The system would allow people to chat with inmates from their homes or at special kiosks across the county. The Commissioners Court will consider signing a three-year contract for the system on Tuesday.
The video chats would cost $10 per 20-minute visit. And there’s a provision buried in the 29-page contract that could require the county to eliminate almost all in-person meetings.
Inmate advocacy groups say the system amounts to profiteering off inmates and their families, and the county’s top elected official is leading a last-ditch effort to kill the contract. County Judge Clay Jenkins says the county shouldn’t profit off the backs of some of the area’s poorest and most vulnerable residents.
“This is a very insidious thing,” he said.
It’s unclear whether Jenkins’ colleagues will agree. Proponents see video visitation as a way to free up manpower at the jail and make visitation more convenient. County staff is recommending approval. And two commissioners — Mike Cantrell and John Wiley Price — have expressed support for the plan in the past. Others have hinted that they have concerns but have been reluctant to discuss the matter due to the county’s strict procurement policies.
Jenkins said he plans to reach out to “every member of the clergy that I can get my hands on in Dallas County” to rally opposition to the idea. He hopes to persuade the court to try to find a video chat option that is less expensive for inmates.
The system wouldn’t cost the county anything. In fact, it may open a new revenue stream. Securus would install the technology for free. And, if certain parameters are met, it would share up to 25 percent of its revenue with the government. That could mean millions of dollars for Dallas County, Jenkins predicted.Source:Dallas Morning News

Discussion about how Cook County jail in Chicago requiring a background check before you can visit an inmate.

Please be advised that the Cook County Department of Corrections (CCDOC) has instituted a new visitation policy. All family members and friends wishing to visit an inmate MUST complete and submit a Visitor Application to the CCDOC. Visitor Applications may be obtained and submitted at the following locations:

Cook County Sheriff’s Office website www.cookcountysheriff.org
Divisional Post and Lobby where the inmate is being housed
Entrance of any Cook County courthouse

The application MUST be filled out completely and it is strongly encouraged to submit applications using the Sheriff’s website. Minors 17 years of age or under do not need to fill out an application; however they must be accompanied by a parent or legal guardian who has been approved according to the new visitation policy at the time of the visit. Also, if the minor is high school age, a current school ID must be presented. If you have already submitted an application you DO NOT need to reapply.

Once the application is received, a background check will be conducted to determine if the applicant is approved for visiting privileges. Applicants must call the Visitor Information Center at (773) 674-5225 to inquire about the status of their applications. Please allow three (3) business days after submitting an application to inquire about the status.

Applicants will be denied visiting privileges based on the below criteria. If you have been denied approval for the reasons noted in points 3 and 4 below, you may reapply but only if your mandatory waiting period has expired.

The applicant provided inaccurate information on the Visitor Application.
The applicant is under the age of 17.
The applicant is:
On parole/probation for less than one (1) year.
On house arrest.
On bond awaiting a court date.
The applicant was discharged from CCDOC or any county jail within the last 60 days.
The applicant has an outstanding warrant.
The applicant has a protective order placed on the inmate they are requesting to visit.
The inmate has a protective order placed on the individual requesting visitation.
Any safety or security reasons as determined by a CCSO supervisor.
Visitors are required to follow Cook County Department of Corrections visitor rules and regulations at ALL times while on facility grounds. Failure to do so may result in the termination or denial of future visits.

Requirements for Entry into the Facility

All visitors must be in possession of one valid photo identification including:
Valid Drivers License or State ID
U.S. Military Identification Card
Valid Passport/Visa/Consulate ID
Valid Alien Registration Card
Public Aid Photo ID
Photo School ID
All visitors are subject to search upon entering the Jail.
Prohibited items include, but are not limited to, the following:
Alcohol, Electronics, Newspapers/Magazines, Books, Food, Pocket Knives, Cameras, Lighters, Syringes, Cell Phones, Matches, Tobacco Products,
Drinks, Music Players, Tools, Drugs, Nail, Clippers, and Weapons.
VIOLATION OF CRIMINAL CODE 720 ILCS 5/31A IS A FELONY PUNISHABLE
UP TO 12 YEARS IN THE ILLINOIS DEPARTMENT OF CORRECTIONSSource:Cook County Sheriff

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